Big Picture at #congressh: Welcome to Congress 2017!

Big Picture at #congressh: Welcome to Congress 2017!

Friday, May 26, 2017

Guest blog by Karen Leiva, Congress 2017 blogger

The Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences brings together leading thinkers, academics, researchers, policy-makers and innovators to explore some of the world’s most challenging issues. Congress celebrates the vitality and quality of Canadian research contributions, and helps train the next generation of Canadian ideas leadership. This year’s theme “The Next 150, on Indigenous Lands" celebrates the history, legacy and achievements of the peoples and territories that make us who we are, and anticipates the boundless opportunities of the future. Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, this year’s Congress is being hosted by Ryerson University in Toronto from May 27-June 2. Follow this series of Big Picture at #congressh blogs.

For the first time in over a decade, the premier event for Canada’s scholarly community returns to Toronto. From May 27 to June 2, Ryerson University is hosting more than 9,000 distinguished academics, policy makers, researchers and practitioners at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Big Thinking
The Big Thinking lecture series features forward-thinking research, ideas and solutions to critical questions and issues of our time, and takes place every day at 12:15 -1:15 p.m. in the Ted Rogers School of Management’s lecture theatre. Open to the public, this year’s line-up includes:

Stephen Toope, President of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, welcomes you to Congress 2017:
“Congress is an important moment in Canada each year, when some of the country’s greatest researchers come together to share ideas that will help us forge a brighter future. The humanities and social sciences are invaluable in that they encourage the difficult conversations that surface the ideas and issues that help us better understand ourselves and the world in which we live. In today’s global climate, it is imperative that we draw insight from our disciplines to help us respond creatively to Canada's evolving challenges.”

Here’s what Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor of Ryerson University said about the opening of Congress 2017:
“We are very proud and honoured to host Congress 2017 at Ryerson University. Research in the humanities and social sciences has never been more important, it is an integral part of understanding and effecting meaningful change, innovation, discovery and economic growth.”

Here’s a message from Pamela Sugiman, Dean, Ryerson University Faculty of Arts:
“The social sciences and humanities nourish the intellectual hunger of students and faculty, as citizens, employees and leaders in our global society. We provide the inspiration and skills needed for critical scholarly inquiry, the production of knowledge and its real-world application. At Congress 2017, Ryerson University will promote dialogue with scholars and researchers across the country, and showcase our coming of age as a diverse and inclusive innovative university.”